


Mess Around

by lillyluna



Series: After London [1]
Category: Phlochte - Fandom, Swimming RPF
Genre: M/M, Mesa, Reconciliation, Reconciliation Sex, Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-26
Updated: 2014-04-26
Packaged: 2018-01-20 20:01:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1523759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lillyluna/pseuds/lillyluna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is independent from any universe I've created. </p><p>“Our friendship went back together like he never left.”</p><p>Ryan and Michael are reunited at Mesa Grand Prix.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mess Around

**Author's Note:**

> As always, all my thanks to mugglemiranda who makes it easier for me to write.

When Ryan glances over at Michael just as he turns during the 100 fly final he realizes how much he’s missed racing him but, when the race is over and Michael reaches across the pool lane to grab his hand Ryan realizes how much he’s missed him. There’s a moment when Michael leans in closer and Ryan has the urge to drop his head against Michael’s shoulder. He decides against it and moves against the edge of the pool to try and catch his breath instead.

Once he’s out of the pool the cameras crowd around them. While they’re being interviewed Ryan feels Michael’s hand across his back and hears him laugh. It feels even better than the first place he just took. He clasps his hand on Michael’s neck but doesn’t squeeze. They’re not holding each other as close as they used to but they’re laughing just the same. 

Michael and him have spent the entire day joking around with each other and the weight of the past few years, especially the weight of the past year, seems to have lifted off Ryan’s shoulder. He’d seemingly forgotten how much fun swimming could be. 

Ryan realizes how much he’s missed Michael as a friend during his post race press conference. Michael stays just out of camera shot but Ryan sees him listening. It’s something Ryan’s always appreciated; that most of the time Michael takes time to listen. Michael doesn’t disregard him when he searches for words or loses his train of thought or when he mispronounces words. Michael doesn’t make him feel dumb. 

Ryan smiles at Michael forgetting that the cameras are on him. He automatically glances down at his hands and answers the next question. His phone vibrates in his lap and when he glances down he has a text message from a new number with the same Baltimore area code. 

 

Ryan swipes his thumb across the screen to make the text message disappear and tries to refocus hard on the questions being asked. 

“Um I think just um our history and um-” Ryan concentrates hard on the words that have just left the reporters mouth. “Any race that we go against each other it’s gonna be a battle just ‘cuz we don’t know how to give up.” 

He answers the same questions over again. Why he felt discouraged, what helped him through, how he felt winning, how he felt racing against Michael. He answers them all the best he can, straining to hear reporters who are speaking just above a whisper in a crowded room. He’s relieved when it’s over and he’s even more relieved when Michael seeks him out in the crowd. 

“D’you send me this?” Ryan holds up his phone to Michael’s face, “Or s’like Dwyer tryin to-” 

“It was me.” Michael rolls his eyes, “We like had fun today so I thought-” 

“Yeah it’s cool.” Ryan agrees. 

They walk side by side in silence. 

“So I won.” Ryan says slowly. 

“I was there.” 

“D’you forget how to turn cause like-”

“You had time to watch my turn?” 

“Yeah.” Ryan laughs, “I was ahead.” 

Michael shakes his head and bumps his shoulder against Ryan’s. 

“So I won.” Ryan repeats. 

“No.” Michael laughs back at him, “No way.” 

“I’m not the one out of shape.” Ryan raises an eyebrow.

“Really?” Michael challenges, “I did you after Beijing.” 

“The weight didn’t even show.” Ryan argues. “I still beat you.” 

Ryan starts to doubt his plan. Just because their friendship has fallen seamlessly back into place doesn’t mean other parts of their relationship have also. 

“I got my own room.” Michael offers after a few too many seconds of silence. “We can hang out there.” 

*

Michael kisses Ryan first. 

They’re barely into his room when he places his hand exactly where it had rested after the race and pulls Ryan up to him. It catches Ryan by surprise and for a second the kiss is more teeth than anything else. 

“You out of practice?” Michael asks when he pulls away. 

“Two years.” Ryan wipes his mouth with the back of his hand; “You didn’t talk to me for two years.” He adds quietly. 

The ums and the pauses from the press conference have left his speech because Michael doesn’t make him nervous. Because he knows Michael isn’t waiting to make fun of him. All these great qualities aside though Ryan knows it’s hard to keep going without talking about the fact that this is the first time since London that Michael Phelps chooses to talk to him. 

“Thought you were steady with Dwyer.” Ryan mutters changing the subject from his hurt feelings. 

“You replaced me with Clary.” Michael counters, “I see those on instagram that’s-” 

“You never like my pictures.” Ryan mutters again, “How do I know?” 

“Clary.” Michael says the name like it’s an insult, “Ry.” 

“Con texted me like everyday when he moved in lik he-” Ryan sighs when he remembers, “You were living with him but not talking to-”

“Bob made me.” Michael argues.

“He was like ‘what do I say to him?’” Ryan mimics Conor’s voice, “He likes you.” 

“You moved to-”

“Yeah I moved.” Ryan nods, “Not the same s’movin’ on.” 

Michael doesn’t have anything to add. He lets the awkward silence take over until he can’t stand in.

“I never… Conor and stuff… No.” Michael fumbles before changing the subject, “Herman doesn’t like him as much.” 

“Herman doesn’t like people.” Ryan , “He likes food.” 

“He likes you.” Michael reminds him. 

Michael reaches for Ryan. He grabs the side of his t-shirt and curls his hand until his knuckles are touching skin through the fabric. 

“I like you.” Michael adds. 

Ryan doesn’t answer but he doesn’t move away so Michael moves his hand lower and slips it under Ryan’s t-shirt, rubbing the pad of his fingers against warm skin. 

“I won.” Ryan says again, “

“What was that at Worlds dude?” Ryan says quietly, “You didn’t even like try to… You were just with that girl…” 

“I didn’t know it was rough for you.” Michael defends, “You didn’t say.” 

“You woulda left the blond to come-” 

“Do we have to talk about this now?” Michael asks. He bends down to kiss Ryan again but Ryan pulls away. 

“You wanna wait two more years?” Ryan challenges. 

“No. It just doesn’t matter.” Michael tries to kiss him again and this time Ryan doesn’t move away. 

Everything falls back into place and two years don’t matter. It’s four feet to the bed and Michael guides Ryan backwards until he’s falling on his back. Michael pulls away right before Ryan falls back. He pulls his shirt off before stepping between Ryan’s legs hanging off the edge of the bed.

Ryan reaches forward to run his hands down Michael chest. He rubs his thumb against the small patch of hair left on Michael’s stomach. 

“Run out of time?” He smirks, eyeing Michael’s still unshaved chest. 

“I had to do it myself.” Michael points out.

“That’s just lazy.” Ryan laughs. 

Michael rolls his eyes but can’t help but grin because as much as he’s missed swimming he’s also missed Ryan. 

He climbs on top of him, on knee against each of Ryan’s thighs, and pulls Ryan’s shirt up, running his hands from Ryan’s abs up to his chest before cupping his chin to hold his face in place while he kisses him again. 

Michael kisses Ryan’s jaw while he pushes down Ryan’s white basketball shorts. He shoves down his own shorts before sneaking a hand under Ryan’s lower back and holding his hips up close to his own. Michael moves against Ryan, grinding them together. 

“Fuck man yeah.” Ryan groans tipping his head back.

Ryan hooks one of his legs around Michael’s waist and reaches down between them to wrap his hand around Michael’s cock. 

“Yeah Doggy.” Michael lets his head hang down, forehead against the mattress with his lips next to Ryan’s ear, “Faster.”

“I won.” Ryan says. He tips his head sideways so his lips brush against Michael’s temple. “Means I-” 

“No.” Michael shakes his head, “I missed you.” 

“I didn’t go nowhere.” Ryan says his voice quiet even though there’s no one else in the room. 

He stills his hand for a second and Michael thrusts up against him in complaint. 

“You didn’t call me either.” Michael pushes himself up, sitting back against Ryan’s knees until Ryan’s face contorts uncomfortably. 

“Sorry.” Michael apologizes, “I forgot.” 

Michael stills Ryan’s wrist and moves back to kneel on the floor beside the bed. He pulls Ryan closer to the edge and pushes his legs up, guiding on of his feet to rest against his shoulder.

“What are you doin’?” Ryan raises his head to investigate but quiets down once Michael’s tongue his against him, “Fuck. You did miss me.” 

Ryan closes his eyes and tries to only concentrate on Michael’s tongue. He reaches down to wrap two fingers around his own dick and jacks himself off slowly. Michael slips one finger in him after a minute and it becomes obvious that he has no plan to honor the bet they’d agreed to in Beijing. Once both Michael’s mouth and fingers are on him though Ryan stops to care. 

“I really wanna fuck you.” Michael almost growls, moving up to kiss Ryan’s stomach. He grabs Ryan’s hand and intertwines their fingers, “So bad Ry.” 

“Mmhm.” Ryan agrees, unable to form full words.

Michael stands up and leaves Ryan alone on the bed. He walks out of the room and into the bathroom. Ryan can hear him dig around before he hears the tap running and Michael spitting what he assumes is mouth wash into the sink. 

“You didn’t have to.” Ryan calls out. 

“I wanna kiss you.” Michael shrugs off Ryan’s comment. 

Michael crawls up on the bed beside Ryan. He holds a condom between his fingers and uses his teeth to tear it open. 

“You don’t-” Ryan tries to stop him.

“No I um.” Michael looks away from Ryan uncomfortable, “Other people and-” 

“Oh.” Ryan’s suddenly feels self-conscious. Like the two years are back in the room. 

“Not this good though.” Michael flips over to kiss him, rolling the condom on as he does, “Not this fun.”


End file.
